Not Necessarily A Silent Killer

So last weekend I hung out with a bunch of DDS-types up in beautiful Mill Valley by the Bay. And even though I spent some quality time with some of my coolest colleagues ever, the trip wasn’t a vacation.

The training we shared revolved around Invisalign orthodontic care. Most of us attending were part of the most effective GP Invisalign group in the world. The agenda included approaches providing even greater efficiency and predictability as well as stuff like advances in digital dental technology.

And I’ve always believed retaining an element of child-like curiosity as well as a stubborn dose of immaturity is the magic to staying young…although I hope my growing desperation isn’t that obvious.

What moved me the most was my sense of guilt. What excited me most was the hope we can make a difference. And it was personal.

A speaker of similar vintage and fewer years spent providing Invisalign care and studying the impact of sleep health addressed a bigger picture and drew a connection that generated way more endorphins than I ever take away from spin class.

Dr. Terry Codington spoke to priorities and responsibility; his context included beautiful smiles, healthy tissue, and lasting dentitions. But his vision also embraced growth and development, sleep, quality of life, and life, itself…and he and his inner circle of colleagues were making a difference.

90,000,000 Americans suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); only 10% receive a diagnosis. Only 3% manage the disease…that can steal away 15-years of life. And the disease process starts early…as in toddlers. Turns out, dentists have an opportunity to be gatekeepers and an important component of an evolving team of care providers managing a deadly insidious disease.

OSA is a condition where the airway is restricted; a blockage behind the tongue and soft palate effectively stops or inhibits breathing during sleep. And the signs and symptoms as well as the toxic effects can begin very early.

Folks with OSA are prone to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and acid reflux. 75% of stroke victims also have OSA. People with unmanaged OSA are 23-times more likely to suffer a heart attack. Drivers suffering from OSA are seven times more likely to have automobile accidents.

Signs and symptoms include snoring, daytime drowsiness, morning headaches, jaw and facial pain, teeth clenching and grinding; dentists can also look for numerous more subtle indicators.

After the screening, dentists can refer patients to sleep clinics for testing, evaluation, and diagnosis by a sleep physician. Dentists can also provide home sleep tests that are reviewed and evaluated by sleep physicians. Light and moderate OSA can be treated with oral appliances and sleep hygiene; the treatment for severe OSA is the CPAP and/or an oral appliance for those who can’t tolerate the CPAP. And proper Invisalign care giving the tongue room and a proper home can help and maybe even provide an answer.

As I listened to the presentation, several patients and even a few team members came to mind. But it was the memory of someone even closer that really struck home.

In several weeks, March 6 will return and this time around it will mark 43-years to the day I saw my Dad die of a heart attack in our living room on a Saturday early evening I’ll never forget.

Dad was a type II diabetic, had an 18” neck, was prone to falling asleep in front of the TV, and snoring like nobody’s business. After his diabetes diagnosis at age 50, Dad ate right, stopped drinking cold turkey, and dropped about 40-lbs; he was only 66 years old the night he died.

So, what used to be a virtual nocturnal call of the wild is more likely the sound of someone desperately trying to breathe…while sounding a noisy 911 alarm. A simple screening could lead to a much longer, more beautiful life. And the signs and symptoms start as early as age two.

Ask your dentist about Obstructive Sleep Apnea. If you’ve ever considered remote care and view lack of direct supervision as an advantage, it might be time to take a breath and generate some serious second thoughts.